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  • Follow the North Star: using data-informed implementation to drive better outcomes

    There’s a difference between data that’s easy to dismiss and data that demands a response. Cara Jackson and Elise Lenthe attended the 2026 Strategic Data Project Convening and came back with that insight, alongside a clear case from Duval County Public Schools for why implementation doesn’t survive on goodwill alone,…

  • When the Contract Tells You What to Track

    Outcomes based contracting promises that districts pay for results, not just services. But that promise only holds if districts and providers can see what's happening while there's still time to act. Brittany Miller, Executive Director of the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, and Justin Serrano, CEO of Littera Education, examine what it takes to build data infrastructure that makes contract terms visible in real time—and what becomes possible when accountability is legible at the speed of implementation, not the speed of publication.

  • The Center for OBC Services

    Our Services The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting is on track to serve one million students by 2030. That is happening because districts, providers, and states are making a different kind of commitment, one where student outcomes are not an afterthought at the end of a contract. Every service…

  • Impact in Action Vol. 2

    Impact in Action, Vol. 2 features Santa Ana Unified School District’s outcomes based contracting journey, showing how a district started small with a 42-student pilot and scaled to 1,152 students across 27 schools. With 72% of students meeting at least one contracted outcome, SAUSD is proof that when implementation is…

  • Edtech Instructional Intervention Exemplar Contract

    The Center for OBC’s outcomes based contract exemplar for edtech interventions shows districts exactly what a high-quality partnership looks like in practice. From dosage requirements and rate cards to mutual accountability and data sharing, every element is designed to protect students, clarify expectations, and drive implementation quality from day one.

  • Beyond the Buzz: What Outcomes Based Contracting Actually Changes in Edtech

    In this Government Technology article, Julia Gilban-Cohen examines what outcomes based contracting for edtech actually changes in practice, drawing on findings from the Digital Promise report. Rather than framing OBC as a money-back guarantee, the piece explores how the model creates mutual accountability between districts and vendors, encourages districts…

  • Schools Are Paying for Ed Tech That Students Never Use – Could A New Contract Model Change That?

    In this article from The 74, senior writer Greg Toppo examines how outcomes based contracting is reshaping the way districts evaluate and purchase edtech. Drawing on findings from the recently released Digital Promise report, Toppo explores how the model drives higher implementation rates, greater instructional coherence, and a…

  • 4 Key Ways To Improve Outcomes-Based Contracts For Intervention Products

    In this EdWeek Market Brief article, Emma Kate Fittes examines findings from a new Digital Promise report on outcomes based contracting for edtech interventions. Drawing on site visits and interviews with OBC coaches, district leaders, and providers, the report identifies four key steps for providers navigating OBCs: allow more time…

  • How Districts Are Experimenting With Outcomes Based Contracts in Edtech

    This K12 Dive article examines how outcomes based contracting is reshaping the way districts evaluate edtech investments, featuring findings from a new report by Digital Promise. Highlights include how Fresno USD’s outcomes based contract led to regular data-driven check-ins with the provider, stronger implementation, and the district paying only for…

  • Digital Promise Research: OBC’s Impact on EdTech Procurement

    What if edtech payments were tied to student outcomes — not just licenses?This report examines the first cohort to use outcomes based contracting (OBC)for edtech, driving implementation rates 10x higher than the national average.By replacing buyer-seller dynamics with data-driven partnerships, OBCempowers district leaders to invest in what actually works for…

  • What K12 Providers Get Wrong About Outcomes Based Contracting (And Four ‘Aha’ Moments That Change That)

    "Too risky." "Payment depends on perfection." "Is the upside worth the coordination?" These are the concerns providers bring to the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting when they first encounter the model—and they're understandable. Jillian Evans unpacks four misconceptions that get in the way, and shows how strong outcomes based contracts are built to be fair, transparent, and designed so providers can earn more for delivering real results.

  • District Guide: How K12 Leaders Can Use OBC To Modernize Data Infrastructure & Procurement

    K12 districts often struggle with fragmented edtech procurement, leading to misaligned investments and uneven implementation. This joint resource with Project Unicorn shows how outcomes based contracting in education creates clearer selection processes, shared data practices, and stronger collaboration between districts and providers so technology investments support measurable student learning.

  • Provider Guide: How District Procurement and Data Practices Shape Your Partnerships

    K12 data systems and procurement processes shape whether instructional tools actually work in classrooms. This joint resource from the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting and Project Unicorn explains how clearer procurement expectations, interoperable data practices, and shared responsibility between districts and providers can reduce implementation barriers and strengthen instructional decision-making.

  • 3 Takeaways on Tutoring From the Accelerate Convening

    Tutoring works best when implementation works. This blog shares three key takeaways from the recent Accelerate convening, connecting research on dosage, instructional alignment, and participation to the Standards of Excellence for Outcomes Based Contracting™: High-Dosage Tutoring. The takeaway is practical: districts can turn evidence into clear expectations, stronger partnerships, and more reliable student results.

  • District Contract Accelerator

    Your District Deserves Contracts That Work as Hard as You Do.   Watch Video Take part in the District Contract Accelerator Spring is testing season. We know your bandwidth is spoken for. But the…

  • What’s in a Contract? How Outcomes Based Contracting Reshapes School District–Vendor Relationships

    This research paper from the SCALE Initiative at Stanford Graduate School of Education examines how outcomes based contracting transforms K–12 school district procurement — shifting from pay-for-service models to evidence-based, accountable partnerships that tie provider payment to measurable student outcomes.

  • 2025 Impact Report

    The 2025 Impact Report documents how outcomes based contracting is strengthening implementation at scale, with data and district stories that show what happens when every contract is designed around measurable student success.

  • 2024 Impact Report

    This report details the 2024 highlights and accomplishments of the OBC initiative, including some experiences from our cohort districts involved.

  • The Center for OBC’s Impact on Education

    Our Impact Outcomes based contracting improves student outcomes. After years of supporting states, districts, and providers, the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting brings both the evidence and the real-world stories that show what works.  Read the 2025 Impact Report Breaking Through Historic Barriers…

  • Impact in Action Vol. 1

    Impact in Action, Vol. 1 features Duval County Public Schools’ early outcomes based contracting work, showing how a district built on prior success to sharpen implementation, clarify outcomes, and translate investment into student progress.